The invention relates to a security element having macrostructures as set forth in the classifying portion of claim 1.
Such security elements comprise a thin layer composite of plastic material, wherein at least light-modifying relief structures and flat mirror surfaces are embedded into the layer composite. The security elements which are cut out of the thin layer composite are stuck onto articles for verifying the authenticity of the articles.
The structure of the thin layer composite and the materials which can be used for same are described for example in U.S. Pat. No. 4,856,857. It is also known from GB 2 129 739 A for the thin layer composite to be applied to an article by means of a carrier film.
An arrangement of the kind set forth in the opening part of this specification is known from EP 0 429 782 B1. In that case the security element which is stuck onto a document has an optically variable surface pattern which is known for example from EP 0 105 099 A1 or EP 0 375 833 A1 and which comprises surface portions arranged mosaic-like with known diffraction structures and other light-modifying relief structures. So that a forged document, for faking apparent authenticity, cannot be provided without clear traces with a counterfeited security element which has been cut out of a genuine document or detached from a genuine document, security profiles are embossed into the security element and into adjoining portions of the document. The operation of embossing the security profiles interferes with recognition of the optically variable surface pattern. In particular the position of the embossing punch on the security element varies from one example of the document to another.
It is also known that, in earlier times, in the case of particularly important documents, the authenticity of the document was verified by a seal applied thereto. The seal involves a relief image of a complicated and expensive configuration.